Paper machinery



H. L, KUTTER PAPER MACHINERY April 14, 1936.

Filed April 8, 1933 Patented Apr. 14,' 1936 UNITED STATES PAPERMACHINERY Herman L. Kutter, Hamilton, Ohio, assignor to TheBlack-Clawson Company, Hamilton, Ohio,

a corporation of Ohio Application April 8, 1933, Serial No. 665,114

. 11 Claims.

This invention relates to paper making, and more particularly to papermaking machines having provision for controlling the manner ofdepositing the bers in a forming paper web to 4 obtain a bettercommingling of the bers.

One of the principal objects of the invention is to provide meanseffective upon thestock flowing to the initial forming zone of a papermaking machine to produce an effective interlacing of the fibers and asheet of superior strength characteristics.

Another object of the invention is the provision of such means as isalso effective to produce a sheet that is free of fuzziness bypreventing an upending of fibers at formation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from4 thefollowing description,

the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

For purposes of description there is illustrated as a preferredembodiment of the invention a socalled cylinder machine having provisionfor accompllshing the objects as above set forth.

In the drawing,-

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partly in section, of a cylinder moldtype of paper making machine having provision for carrying out thepresent invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;Y

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view.

To obtain a paper sheet that is to be considered of good quality asregards smoothness and strength it is essential that the fibers duringweb formation be effectively interlaced. During web formation the fiberpositioning in the stock flow to the paper machine is influenced bymovement of the forming surface relative to the direction of movement ofthe stock flow. This influence is manifested by a tendency for thefibers in suspension in the stock ow to be diverted from a randompositioning into positions approaching alignment in the direction oftravel of the forming surface.

This tendency is. particularly marked in a cylinder mold -type of papermachine wherein the stock iiow approaches the forming surfacesubstantially radial or at an' obtuse angle thereto. Here a substantialportion of the web is formed within a relatively short space of movementof the forming surface and under conditions where the large volumestockl iiow encounters the surface while it is moving substantiallyperpendicular thereto. That is, the initial forming zone wherein thebulk of the web is formed is within that area where the relativemovement is greatest and the fiber aligning tendency is strongest. Also,because of the substantially free iiow of stock to the screen, theinitial forming zone may be limited to but a relatively narrow spaceadjacent the screen surface extending from the stock level to thevicinity of the weir over which the stock flows into the restrictedchannel that follows' the mold surface. In accordance with the presentinvention effective interlacing of the fibers in suspension under suchconditions is provided for by means whereby the bers are given a randompositioning so close to the forming surface that having been sopositioned there is no opportunity for them to be rearranged before theyare collected on the forming surface.

lApplicant prevents the occurrence of fiber alignment by the provisionof means which serves to deflect or direct the course of movement of thefibers within the stock in such a manner that the bers in suspension arecaused to assume random positionings in the flowing stock, so that theywill not becomel relatively aligned as they are deposited on the movingforming surface. Effective ber interlacing in the forming web obtains byconstructing the deiiecting means as a series of movable blades of suchcharacter that vigorous movement in a direction substantially transverseof the direction of screen movement is provided throughout the extent ofthe initial forming zone.

'I'he drawing, in which like characters of reference designate likeparts throughout the several views thereof, shows a cylinder mold typeof paper making machine comprising a mold or forming cylinder I havingan axle shaft II for support of the mold upon suitable bearings withinthe vat I2. The vat has a wall I3 so arranged that a portion I4 servesto define a stock inlet area I5. The wall portion I4 terminates adjacentthe mold I0 in a Weir I6 and then continues downwardly and around themold in a curved portion Il. Stock is supplied to the vat so that it mayflow through the inlet I5 and into contact with the forming surface orscreen of the mold I0 as it rotates. Liquid passing through the formingsurface during web formation may be withdrawn from the roll interior inany desired manner. As shown, an outlet I9 is provided. Excess materialmay pass from the vat at the opening 20 to be again recirculated.

Deflecting means, indicated generally by the numeral 22 are mountedadjacent the mold and are provided with driving means for imparting anoscillatory movement thereto so that the stock flow is given aneffective movement to prevent ber alignment just as it comes intocontact with the forming surface. The deflector is constructed`r of aplurality of closely spaced members extending across the entire moldface so that all portions of the stock flow are eiectively acted uponclosely adjacent the screen in the initial forming zone. As shown, thedeflector 22 comprises a plurality of vertically extending blades 23which stand perpendicular to the roll axis and closely adjacent theforming surface. That edge of each blade which lies adjacent the formingsurface is curved so that the deflector may operate close to the moldsurface with a uniform space between the blades and the forming surfacethroughout the extent of the deflector. 'I'he deiiector blades stand inthe path of stock flow from the inlet area I5 and, as shown, extendupwardly to substantially the top of the vat walls so that they areeffective on the full depth of stock flow through the inlet. The lowerends of the blades may terminate adjacent the Weir I6 or may extend downwithin the restricted channel between the vatwall I1 and the moldsurface as desired. The blade extent is such as to be at least effectivethroughout the initial forming zone and are spaced rather closely, forexample, they are preferably spaced about one inch apart.

The blades 23 are assembled upon three rods 25 that are fixed toupstandingrigid members 26 at each end of the agitator. As shown, theblades are spaced by provision of sleeves 21 that are slidably receivedupon the rods 25. The rod ends are threaded as indicated at 28 and nuts29 are provided so that the assembly of blades, rcds and spacingsleevesI may be securely held together. Screws 30 pass through the rigidmembers 26 and into the rods 25 for attachment of the rigid upstandingmembers 26 to the blade assembly.

The defiector is supported in position within the vat upon exible plates32 which, as shown, are attached at their lower ends 33 to the vatwalls. 'I'he upper ends of the flexible plates 32 are connected asindicated at 34 to the rigid members 26. The flexible plates 32 may bemade from any suitable material. It has been found that bakelitepossesses the necessary characteristics of strength and flexibility andis particularly suited for supporting the deector. Thev plates areproportioned of sufficient width to afford adequate support for thedeflector, and are sufficiently thin that they may be flexed to permitthe required oscillatory movement.

'Ihe deflector may be-operated from any suitable source of powerincorporating a mechanism to impart an oscillatory movement. As shown,the deflector is driven from an electric motor 36 which stands upon abracket 31 fixed to the vat l2. The motor 36 has built within it areducing gear including a cross shaft 38 having an eccentric 39 thereon.The movement of the eccentric 39 is transmitted to the deiiector byprovision of a bakelite connecting plate 42 fixed at 43 to one of therigid members 26 and at its opposite end to a, drive connection 44 thatis rotatably received upon the eccentric. The interiitting engagement ofthe eccentric and its drive Vconnection affords an adequate bearingsurface to assure a smooth drive transmission. A speed regulating devicesuch as the rheostat 45 may be incorporated in the power supply to themotor to regulate the rate of movement; a suitable operating range beingfrom 30 to 120 strokes per minute.

Tini: def-lector mounting is such as to permit adjustment toward or awayfrom the forming surface as desired. This movement is provided be-ftween the attached upper ends of the rigid members 26 and the upper endsof the corresponding flexible plates 32. As shown particularly in Figs.2 and 3, the adjustable attachment of a rigid member 2E to its flexibleplate is by `means of screws 46 through an intermediate block 43. Themember 26 is slotted as indicated at 41 to receive the screws 46, whichthreadedly engage the block 48. Upon loosening these screws thedefiector may be moved to the desired position and may then-be locked inplace. Additional adjustment may be provided if desired by constructingthe blades 23 with lateral slots where the rods 25 pass through them sothat upon loosening the nuts 23 the blades 23 may be moved to a desiredposition and then be locked in place.

As the deflector is supported wholly within the confines of the vatwalls, and the drive connection is over the top of the wall. the needfor openings through the vat is obvlated and the possibility of leakagefrom such openings is eliminated.

The deflecting movement is smooth, noiseless, and free of shocks owingto the fact that there are no sliding or rotating parts in the supportor drive mechanism which may become worn in service and thus, as aresult of a loose interfitting of parts, impart shocks or irregularmotion to the blades. The blade structure, by being supported upon theflexible plates, is free to move throughout the -extent of oscillatorytravel and although it has this freedom of movement it is neverthelessadequately secured to the walls of the vat. The same condition exists inthe drive wherein the flexible plate 42 permits complete freedom ofmovement while affording in effect a sufficiently rigid drivinginterconnection.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferredembodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the inventionis not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes maybe made therein without departing from the scope of the invention whichis defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a cylinder paper machine comprising a cylinder mold and a vattherefor, means for maintaining a body of stock at the mold surfacecomprising a wier, and means positioned in the stock flow and extendingupwardly from the wier to the inlet stock level of the vat and forwardlyto closely adjacent the screen in the initial forming zone with theportion of said means' which ls at the stock level extending very closeto the mold surface and as close to the mold surface as the remainingpart of said means for effecting a controlled positioning of the fibersto prevent them from assuming a parallel positioning as they flow ontothe forming wire.

2. In a cylinder paper machine comprising a cylinder mold and a vattherefor, means for maintaining a body of stock at the mold surfacecomprising a wier over which the stock flows to the forming surface, andmeans movable in the stock for effecting a controlled positioning of thefibers to prevent them from assuming a parallel positioning as they iiowonto the forming surface, said movable means extending upwardly asubstantialdistance above the level of the wier and comprising thinparallel blades extending in the direction of stock ow and terminatingso closely adjacent the forming surface in the initial forming zone thatthe gap between the blades and the forming surface at the inlet stocklevel is a small fractional part of the gap between the wier and theforming surface, and means for moving said blades.

3. In a cylinder paper machine comprising a cylinder mold and a vattherefor, means for maintaining a body of stock at the moldsurfacecomprising a wier over which the stock flows to the forming surface,means movable in the stock for effecting a controlled positioning of thefibers to prevent them from assuming a parallel positioning as they flowonto the forming surface, said movable means comprising parallel bladesextending parallel to the direction of ow from beyond the effectiverange of influence of the forming surface movement to closely adjacentthe forming surface in the initial forming zone and extending fromsubstantially the inlet stock level of the vat to the wier with theupper portions of the blade edges toward the forming surface beingspaced very closely to the forming surface and at adistance therefrom nogreater than the lower portions of the said blade edges, and means formoving said blades.

4. In a cylinder paper machine comprising a cylinder mold and a vattherefor, means in the vat for maintaining a body of stock at the moldsurface comprising a wall having a wierover winch the stock flows to theforming surface, and means movable in the stock for eiectn'g acontrolled positioning of thev fibers to prevent them from assuming aparallel positioning as they flow onto the forming surface, said movablemeans comprising parallel vertical blades positioned perpendicularly tothe axis of rotation of the cylinder mold, said blades extendingdownwardly from substantially the stock level to adjacent the wier andbeginning beyond the effective range of influence of the cylinder moldmovement and terminating in curved edges very closely adjacent the moldscreen in the initial forming zone beyond the wier with the upperportions thereof at least as close to the mold surface as the lowerportions thereof, and means for imparting an oscillatory movement tosaid blades.

5. Ina paper machine having a forming surface and a stationary part,deecting means movable in the stock flow adjacent the forming surface,said defiecting means comprising a movable portion, supporting meanstherefor comprising flexible members xed to the movable portion of thedefiecting means and to the stationary part of the machine, and drivingmeans lonnected te;5 thei movable portion of the deectg means or mpartinan o ment thereto. g scm'atory move 6. In a paper machine having aforming surface and a stationary part, defiecting means movable in thestock flow adjacent the forming surface, said defiecting meanscomprising a movable portion, supporting means therefor comprisingflexible members fixed to the movable portion of the deflecting meansand to the stationary part of the machine, and driving means thereforcomprising a rotatable shaft, an eccentric on said shaft, a memberrotatably mounted on said eccentric, and a flexible plate fixed to saidrotatable member and to the movable portion of the deflecting means toimpart an oscillatory movementv thereto upon rotation of said shaft.

7. In a paper machine having a forming surface and a stationary part,deiiecting means movable in the stock flow adjacent the forming surface,said deiiecting means comprising a movable portion, supporting meanstherefor comprising parallel flexible plates positioned at each end ofthe movable portion and having one end of each plate fixed thereto, saidplates having the opposite ends fixed to the stationary part of themachine, and driving means connected to the deilecting means forimparting an oscillatory movement thereto.

8. In a paper machine having a cylindrical forming surface and a vattherefor, deiiecting means movable in the stock ow adjacent the formingsurface, said deecting means comprising a movable portion and upstandingrigid mem-- bers at each end of the movable portion, supporting meanstherefor comprising flexible plates positioned substantially parallelwith the rigid members and fixed at their upper ends thereto, saidflexible plates being attached at their lower ends to the vat, anddriving means connected to one of said rigid members for imparting anoscillatory movement to said agitator.

9. In a paper machine comprising a cylindrical forming surface and a vattherefor, deiiecting means positioned adjacent the forming surface andmovable in the stock flow to said forming surface, said deiiecting meanscomprising a movable portion positioned within and extending across thevat, said movable portion terminating in upstanding rigid membersextending above the lvat 25 walls, a supporting member attached to theupper end of each rigid member and extending downwardly, the lower endsof each supporting member being mounted on said vat, driving means forimparting an oscillatory movement to said deiiecting means, and adriving connection interconnecting the'deecting means to said drivingmeans. the attachment of the supporting members and thedrivingfconnection being above the vat wall whereby agitator operationis afforded through connections wholly outside of the vat.

10. In a paper machine having a forming surface adapted for rotationwithin a vat, deilecting means movable in the stock flow adjacent theforming surface, said deilectfng means comprising a movable portionextending across the forming surface and terminating in upstanding rigidmembers, supporting means for said deflector comprising flexible platesattached to the inside of the vat and extending upwardly substantiallyparallel with said rigid members, and a pivotal connection between theupper ends of the rigid members and the flexible plates, said'detlectorand supporting means standing wholly within the confines of the vat.

11. In a cylinder paper machine comprising a cylindrical forming surfaceand a vat therefor,

deilecting means positioned within the vat adjacent the forming surfaceand movable in the stock flow to said forming surface, said deflecting-means comprising a plurality of parallel vertical blades standingperpendicularly to the axis of v porting means for the deiiectorandattached rigid members comprising flexible plates fixed to the rigidmembers and to a stationary part of -the machine, and means forimparting an oscillatory movement to the deflecting means.

HERMAN L. KU'I'I'ER.

